Seeing is believing. If you want to convert viewers into buyers, you have to show your product's power in an instant.
Good product demo videos can help you overcome objections, boost customer success, and even cut down on customer support tickets. The problem is, most people don’t know how to create killer demos. You won’t be one of them!
This article will serve as your complete guide to all things video demos, including:
- What to say
- What visuals to use
- Where to share them
- And more.
Plus, with Animoto's intuitive templates and user-friendly features, you’ll be able to create a winning demo video in minutes, not days.
Let’s kick things off by watching a short demo video made by our friends at Tailwind:
Like what you see? This video was made with Animoto’s free software demo video template.
TLDR: Product demo videos are essential for showing your product's value and are proven to boost conversions (up to 80%) and email click-throughs (200-300%). Use them across your website, sales funnel, social media, email campaigns, and support materials to engage users and drive results.
Every demo should have a compelling hook, value props, quality visuals, professional audio, and a strong call to action. You can easily create effective demos using Animoto's templates and tools.
Why demo videos are essential
Demo videos show you how products work in real life, rather than just telling you. They visually explain complex features in a way that is simple and easy to follow along with. When you trip up, you can watch them again.
Videos drive purchases. Our past survey revealed that 73% of respondents were more inclined to purchase after watching a product explanation video. And for good reason! When was the last time you needed help using or troubleshooting a product and actually read the user manual? Chances are you probably turned to Google or YouTube rather than pulling an old manual from your junk drawer.
Demo videos can help your brand build trust and credibility by going the extra mile and helping your audience make the most of your products. They add professional polish to product pages, help center articles, and YouTube channels. Once you’ve captured their attention with a demo, you’re able to showcase the full value of your product and guide them to product features, possibilities, and add-ons.
Must-have components of any effective video
Now that you know where to use your demos for the best results, let's look at the parts that make any product demo effective.
To truly resonate with your audience and achieve your goals, your videos need more than just great footage. They require a thoughtful combination of text, photos, videos, and visual cues that work together seamlessly.
The five essential ingredients of a successful demo video are:
- Compelling hook: Just like any other video, your product demo needs to grab attention in the first 5-10 seconds. Here are some tips and examples of great video hooks.
- Value props: Your demo should clearly articulate the value of your product. Instead of just talking about your product's features, show them in action. Focus on the real-world problems it solves and the clear benefits it provides to your audience.
- Clear, high-quality visuals: Put your best foot forward with well-lit, professional visuals. To demonstrate your process, show the steps needed to replicate it using screen recordings, photos, video clips, or illustrations.
- Audio: Music and voice-overs can help set the tone of your video and add a professional polish to it. Just remember to keep the background music in the background.
- Clear call to action (CTA): Make sure you include calls to action to guide viewers to their next step. Ask yourself: What do you want viewers to do next? (e.g., "Sign Up," "Learn More," "Buy Now")
When and how to use demo videos
Understanding why demo videos are essential is only half the battle. Knowing when and how to strategically use them is key to maximizing their impact.
Product demo videos are incredibly versatile, useful across the entire customer journey. Let's explore the key places where your demo videos can make a real difference.
1: On a dedicated landing page
Stop letting high-quality demo videos get lost in noisy environments. Professional users can now create ad-free, distraction-free landing pages designed solely for conversion. This highly effective setup ensures viewers focus entirely on your product's value and the next step you want them to take.
You retain complete control over the sales funnel:
- Custom Branding: Apply your brand colors, logo, and custom font to immediately build trust and reinforce your identity.
- Direct Call-to-Action (CTA): Add a prominent CTA button to send qualified viewers directly to your booking calendar or free trial sign-up page.
- Optimal Presentation: Select a high-impact thumbnail and a concise title/description to perfectly frame the product demonstration.
This option helps you turn viewers who are interested in your product into valuable leads. To set up your first demo landing page, simply click the "Edit" button next to the custom play page option.
2: On your website
A demo video isn't just nice-to-have, it's a powerful tool to engage visitors and boost conversions. These videos bridge the gap, helping potential customers quickly grasp your product's value and envision its benefits.
You can embed short, punchy demo videos directly on your website's landing page. Then, for those deeper dives, feature more comprehensive demos on individual product pages to convert viewers into buyers.
Here’s how Ekster used a demo on their product page so showcase all the features and benefits of their vacuum bag suitcase:
3: In the sales funnel
Early in the funnel, use short, engaging demos to quickly capture interest and filter prospects. Later, use more demos to visually explain complex features, address objections, and build a strong case for your solution. This pre-educates buyers, making subsequent sales conversations more efficient and impactful.
4: On social media
Demo videos also perform well on social media, especially when you tailor them to each platform. For example, think quick, unscripted demos for Reels and TikTok and step-by-step demos for YouTube. By tweaking your demos for each platform and viewing style, you can create a visual guide that draws casual viewers into your marketing funnel.
Larq uses a variety of fun and creative demo videos on their Instagram to keep their audience educated and engaged with their products:
5: In email campaigns
Videos can drastically boost email results, increasing email click-through rates by 200-300% and driving conversions by up to 80%. Add them to engagement emails to drive feature utilization and customer success. This proactive approach helps users quickly experience value, reducing frustration and solidifying their long-term engagement.
Here’s how we at Animoto use demo videos to showcase new features in marketing emails:
Learn more about sending videos in emails here.
6: In customer onboarding and support materials
Demo videos can serve as visual guides throughout the onboarding process. They can walk new users through initial setup and key feature activation, helping them quickly achieve success with your product.
For support materials, embed short, targeted demos within your knowledge base or FAQ sections to visually answer common questions and troubleshoot issues. This empowers customers to find solutions independently, reducing support queries and improving overall user adoption and satisfaction.
Here’s a great example from Ninja’s product support page:
Step-by-step: creating your demo video with Animoto
Want to get a head start on your demo? Use Animoto’s free templates and beginner-friendly tools to create a video with all of these best practices already in place. It will save you time (and a headache or two) and help you create a product demo video that looks great and drives action. Here’s how!
Step 1: Getting started with Animoto
First things first, sign up for a free Animoto account.
Step 2: Choose your starting point
Next, head over to the template library to see your options. Every template is professionally designed with music, media placeholders, example text, and stunning animations.
There are tons of demo templates to choose from in the “How-to” category. Here are a few of our favorites:
Step 3: Add your media
Use your media as a guide for your video. Upload for your device and then just drag and drop them into your video to see it come to life. Consider what steps you want to show, the visuals that will help you show them, and the supporting elements that will make it land home.
You can easily trim your media to break it into digestible step-by-step clips.
Pro tip: Focus on showing your product's benefits in action through video clips and recordings.
If you’re running low, you can always use Animoto’s screen and webcam recorder or dip into the stock media library.
Step 4: Craft your message with text & fonts
Before you start adding text, give your video a quick watch. Which points are confusing or could use emphasis? Add simple text to guide viewers through your video.
Always ensure that your text is legible by using highlights, bold, and contrasting colors and position it so that it doesn’t compete with your visuals.
Don’t forget your CTA!
Step 5: Add the perfect soundtrack & voiceover
Now it’s time to tie it all together with audio. First, add a background song from Animoto's licensed music library, and set the volume to about 50%. This will help ensure that the music doesn’t overpower your video.
Next, record or upload a custom voice-over. This helps you connect with your target audience and guide them through your video step by step.
Step 6: Review, refine, and polish
Before you download and share your demo, run through these questions to ensure that everything is just right:
- Is it too fast/slow?
- Is the message clear?
- Are visuals easy to understand?
- Is my call to action prominent and clear?
If you’re not sure, bring in the experts! Professional Plus users can generate an exclusive link so your team can review your video and leave comments for feedback.
Step 7: Export and share your masterpiece
Now you’re ready to start sharing! Download your video in 1080p for the crispest, highest-quality version of your video. Then, follow these steps to embed it on your website:
- Click “Publish and share” and then open the embed tab.
- Select your video size, quality, volume. Then, you can copy and paste the embed code that the system generates.
- To embed it on your website:
- Basic HTML: Paste the embed code directly into your page's HTML.Content Management Systems (CMS):
- WordPress, Squarespace, Wix: Often allow direct URL pasting for popular platforms or offer dedicated video blocks.
- For more help embedding your video, check out our full guide.
Sharing your video somewhere else? Download your video to share it anywhere! Here’s a guide for adding your video to a presentation in Google Slides or Powerpoint.
Your next great demo video is calling
From boosting conversions on your website to enhancing customer success in onboarding, strategic demo videos drive real results. By showing, not just telling, you can capture viewers attention, build trust, and guide customers through every stage of their journey.
This guide provides insights and practical steps that equip you to create compelling demos that truly perform. So, go ahead and bring your product to life – your next great product demo video awaits!
